HC Deb 09 February 1977 vol 925 cc693-4W
Mr. MacCormick

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each year of the past decade, the estimated total catch of salmon on Scottish rivers by rod and line.

Mr. Hugh D. Brown

The rod and line catches for the most up-to-date period available in the returns supplied to my Department are as follows:

Salmon Grilse Total
1966 64,208 8,474 72,682
1967 62,898 14,450 77,348
1968 45,675 6,701 52,376
1969 42,754 8,090 50,844
1970 46,247 11,548 57,795
1971 40,220 7,875 48,095
1972 49,165 6,285 55,450
1973 52,500 9,433 61,933
1974 49,767 9,042 58,809
1975 63,118 9,866 72,984

Mr. MacCormick

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each year of the past decade, the estimated total catch of salmon in the Atlantic Ocean by: (a) British and (b) foreign vessels.

Mr. Hugh D. Brown

There is no evidence of British participation in Atlantic Ocean high seas fishing for salmon. The taking of salmon in the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean is the subject of international agreement so far as fishermen of the participating States of the International Commission for North-West Atlantic Fisheries and the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission are concerned. Catches reported by participating States, including in some cases salmon caught in coastal and inland waters, are recorded by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

For the most up-to-date period available they are as follows:

Year Tonnes
1966 2,608
1967 3,141
1968 2,948
1969 4,858
1970 4,884
1971 4,816
1972 4,359
1973 4,847
1974 4,475
1975 4,761

The international agreement prohibiting or limiting fishing for salmon on the high seas of the ocean came into effect on 1st January 1976.

Mr. MacCormick

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list, for each year of the past decade, the estimated total catch of salmon by net on Scottish river estuaries.

Mr. Hugh D. Brown

It is not possible except at disproportionate cost to differentiate between the net catches in estuaries and those in the rivers themselves. Information is, however, readily available, in the returns supplied to my Department, on net and coble catches of salmon in Scottish rivers including their estuaries. Details for the most up-to-date period are as follows:

Salmon Grilse Total
1966 87,077 95,202 182,279
1967 123,168 161,227 284,395
1968 103,079 98,861 201,940
1969 107,675 169,559 277,234
1970 87,320 121,347 208,667
1971 67,798 117,998 185,796
1972 96,140 102,247 198,387
1973 102,956 109,923 212,879
1974 72,238 103,350 175,588
1975 86,169 101,018 187,187